Yoga Meditation, Yoga Sutras, Vedanta and Tantra for Self-Realization

Discussions on Self-Realization in the Tradition of the Himalayan masters as on www.SwamiJ.com. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Joy coming from Realization in direct experience of the center of consciousness, Self, Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. This Self-Realization comes through Yoga Meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya (internal) Sri Vidya Tantra.

Attaining Yoga or Union:

Yoga or "Union" is attained by first training, balancing, and purifying each of the aspects of our being individually, and then systematically receding attention inward through those levels, expanding so as to experience the state of Union, Yoga, Samadhi, or Turiya.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

There is a widespread misunderstanding of the nature of yoga that is well exemplified by William J. Broad in his book “The Science of Yoga”. Broad says in the Introduction that the book is about “postural yoga”, but he never again uses that term. Instead, he subsequently uses the single word “yoga”, implying that yoga and postures (postural yoga) are one and the same, which is the common cultural myth of our times. The degree to which he had done this was not immediately apparent to me; it took several readings to see the problem clearly.

Broad says that we are now in a period of yoga 2.0 and predicts that in the next two to three hundred years we will see the coming of yoga 3.0 and yoga 4.0. However, he says that his baseline period--yoga 1.0--is the medieval ages, completely ignoring the previous thousands of years of yoga history, which includes the yoga of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Sutras.

Broad says that the yoga of Patanjali (the Yoga Sutra) is “old yoga”, apparently in contrast to his views of “new yoga”. However, this new yoga bears no resemblance to the old yoga (using his term for clarity, not meaning that I agree with him). Broad also uses the phrase “modern yoga” a few times. If Broad’s categories align with today’s common view of yoga, then we can see that the current yoga is “not yoga” compared to the yoga of the ancient sages. There is almost nothing to be found of modern yoga, yoga 2.0, or not yoga in any of these ancient descriptions of yoga that would be part of old yoga.

We can get a clearer understanding of Broad’s book by mentally inserting the term “postural yoga” wherever he uses only the single word “yoga”. We can also mentally insert “not yoga” or “modern yoga” wherever he used only the single word “yoga”. These three exercises gives a very different feel to the book, making clear Broad’s disregard, if not disdain for the traditional meaning of yoga. In other words, Broad sees yoga only as a physical process dealing with fitness and health/medical treatments, and he writes from that perspective alone.

Once we see that Broad is talking only about the modern devolutions of yoga, it is easy to assess the quality and usefulness of his writing from within that limited scope. He has written an extremely clear and useful book about postural yoga or modern yoga or not yoga, as well as clearly summarizing the risks and benefits of those categories. However, although it is obviously not his intent, he has also done a great job of outlining the devolution of yoga in the past hundred years or so.

I encountered only one place where Broad uses the term “traditional yoga”, a term I and others have used to contrast the yoga of the sages from modern yoga. However, he uses the term traditional yoga not to refer to the yoga of the sages, but to postural hatha yoga before it was altered/hijacked by the innovators such as Krishnamacharya, Jois, and Iyengar.

I highly recommend this book. It gives great summaries of the potential dangers of modern postural yoga (not yoga), as well as physical fitness and health benefits, and if you read closely, also maps out the way in which yoga has been distorted in recent years. You may also notice that Broad offers no evidence or research whatsoever showing any danger in practicing the introspective methods of yoga as explained by the practitioners and teachers of old yoga (known simply as yoga). Apparently the dangers he presents only apply to not yoga, the modern distortions of yoga.

There was not a single example of anybody experiencing any health problems from sitting quietly doing the introspective practices of meditation and contemplation, which are characteristic of yoga done for its original purpose, Self-realization. It would be interesting to see research on the risks and rewards of these meditation and contemplation practices of old yoga, but this is not the subject of Broad’s book. That may be very difficult research since so few people are practicing or interested in this.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The New York Times published an article on January 5, 2012 entitled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body". This article has since spread like wildfire throughout internet. I am writing comments in the 16-page attached article to strongly refute much, if not most of what William J. Broad (the author) has said.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Most people in the West, and also many in India,confuse Yoga with Hatha Yoga, the system ofbodily postures. But Yoga is primarily a spiritualdiscipline.(Paramahansa Yogananda)

REASON #2. YOGA FOR … PAIN RELIEF:Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated thatpracticing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or acombination of the two, reduced pain for peoplewith conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis,auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well asarthritis, back and neck pain and other chronicconditions. Some practitioners report that evenemotional pain can be eased through the practiceof yoga.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Yoga has become the health and fitness systemof choice. This is odd because it is the mind -not the body - that is the main target of all genuineYoga practices .... To regard Yoga primarily as aset of practices for increasing strength andflexibility while calming the nervous system isto mistake the husk for the kernel.(Pandit Rajmani Tigunait)

REASON #3. YOGA FOR … BETTER BREATHING:Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths.This helps to improve lung function, trigger thebody's relaxation response and increase the amountof oxygen available to the body.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Like many arts and sciences that are profound,beautiful, and powerful, yoga has suffered fromthe spiritual poverty of the modern world--it hasbeen trivialized, watered down, or reduced tocliches. The deep and eternal essence of yogahas been misrepresented and packaged forpersonal profit by clever people.(Bhole Prabhu)

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:In ancient times hatha Yoga was practiced formany years as a preparation for higher states ofconsciousness. Now however, the real purposeof this great science is being altogether forgotten .The hatha Yoga practices which were designedby the rishis and sages of old, for the evolutionof mankind, are now being understood andutilized in a very limited sense.(Swami Satyananda Saraswati)

REASON #5. YOGA FOR … INCREASED STRENGTH:Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in thebody, helping to increase strength literally fromhead to toe. And, while these postures strengthenthe body, they also provide an additional benefitof helping to relieve muscular tension.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Yoga is not mere acrobatics . Some people supposethat Yoga is primarily concerned with themanipulation of the body into various queerpositions, standing on the head, for instance, ortwisting about the spine, or assuming any of thenumerous odd poses which are demonstrated inthe text-books on Yoga. These techniques arecorrectly employed in one distinct type of Yogapractice, but they do not form an integral part ofthe most essential type. Physical posture serveat best as an auxiliary, or a minor form of Yoga.(Swami Chidananda Saraswati)

REASON #6. YOGA FOR …WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:Yoga (even less vigorous styles) can aid weightcontrol efforts by reducing the cortisol levelsas well as by burning excess calories andreducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthyeating habits and provides a heightened sense ofwell being and self esteem.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Many false and incomplete teachings have beenpropagated in its name, it has been subject tocommercial exploitation, and one small aspectof Yoga is often taken to be all of Yoga. Forinstance, many people in the West think it is aphysical and beauty cult, while others think itis a religion. All of this has obscured the realmeaning of Yoga.(Swami Rama)

REASON #7. YOGA FOR …IMPROVED CIRCULATION:Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a resultof various poses, more efficiently movesoxygenated blood to the body's cells.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:Through the discipline of Yoga, both actions andintelligence go beyond these qualities [gunas] andthe seer comes to experience his own soul withcrystal clarity, free from the relative attributes ofnature and actions. This state of purity is samadhi.Yoga is thus both the means and the goal. Yogais samadhi and samadhi is Yoga.(B. K. S. Iyengar)

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:The main objective of hatha Yoga is to create anabsolute balance of the interacting activities andprocesses of the physical body, mind and energy.When this balance is created, the impulsesgenerated give a call of awakening to the centralforce (sushumna nadi) which is responsible forthe evolution of human consciousness. If hathaYoga is not used for this purpose, its trueobjective is lost.(Swami Satyananda Saraswati)

REASON #9. YOGA FOR …FOCUS ON THE PRESENT:Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to becomemore aware and to help create mind body health.It opens the way to improved concentration,coordination, reaction time and memory.

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:The goal of Yoga is Yoga itself, union itself, of thelittle self and the True Self, a process of awakeningto the preexisting union that is called Yoga.Yoga has to do with the realization through directexperience of the preexisting union between Atmanand Brahman, Jivatman and Paramatman, andShiva and Shakti, or the realization of Purushastanding alone as separate from Prakriti.(Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati)

REASON #10. YOGA FOR … INNER PEACE:The meditative aspects of yoga help many to reacha deeper, more spiritual and more satisfying placein their lives. Many who begin to practice forother reasons have reported this to be a key reasonthat yoga has become an essential part of theirdaily lives.(This finally touches on the real reasons for Yogaby mentioning that it is for "spiritual" reasons.)

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOGA:You use the body as a medium to bring the mindback to the brain. Perfect marriage between bodyand mind. Then, you can reach and knock thedoor to the spirit....Yoga is free. It belongs to the earth. It's a god.(Bikram Choudhury)

The distortion of the very high practice of Yoga Nidra is so thorough in the world these days that it seems necessary to make very bright titles just to have the point noticed.

Throughout this article (and others linked on this page) you will find explanations that there are THREE levels of consciousness: Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep (plus the "fourth" which is the transcendent state known as Turiya). Yoga Nidra is conscious DEEP SLEEP and Deep Sleep is NOT conscious Dreaming. Yoga Nidra is also NOT the transition between Waking and Dreaming. Those are states to explore, but they are NOT Deep Sleep; if it did have dreams, that would be called Dreaming, and would NOT be called Deep Sleep.

It is utterly obvious that Deep Sleep does NOT have Dreams to explore. It should be self-evident that Dreaming and Not-Dreaming (i.e., Deep Sleep) are two different things. However, books, articles, and CDs keep telling people that Yoga Nidra is a state of Dreaming, or transitioning into Dreaming from Waking. This is just not true. Throughout the ancient writings of the yogis, sages, and rishis there are explanations of these three states of consciousness. Please don't just take my word for it. Read the ancient writings, including Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and others. You will find these states talked about over and over, and over again.

Many people are now practicing all sorts of guided imageries in the name of Yoga Nidra so that they can make money, have better sex, or manipulate other people. There are CDs out which say Yoga Nidra is for "this or that" named disease or other specific desire-based purpose. Yoga Nidra has been made to sound like "The Law of Attraction," whereby you fulfill your desires through meditative techniques.

Yoga Nidra was taught by the ancient sages for the purpose of exploring the deep impressions or samskaras, which drive our actions or karma. They taught this so that sincere seekers can purify the deeper aspect of the mind-field, which is accessed in the formless state of conscious Deep Sleep. If I try to explain the whole process here in this paragraph, I would have to condense the whole article here, which can't be done. You must do this exploration yourself. Read the article. Read the other articles. Read the texts mentioned above.

I'm not writing this here just to complain about other people. The fact is, that Yoga Nidra is a profoundly useful and deep practice for enlightenment at this highest level of that word (enlightenment). The term "Yoga Nidra" has become so watered-down, so distorted that sincere seekers are not likely to see the extremely high value of authentic Yoga Nidra. If you read this, research this yourself, and then do the practices, you'll discover for yourself the very high value of authentic, traditional Yoga Nidra.

I know that all of this can sound like a "sales pitch." Well, we're stuck with that. I'm writing this here so that possibly some few sincere people will move forward with authentic Yoga Nidra. There are a small handful of people out there who can talk to you about this, and guide you. I'm not going to recommend any specific names of people, however. Just explore sincerely; you'll find your way to the real thing of Yoga Nidra.

While you are here, reading this part of the article, please read carefully the rest of the article, as well as some of the other articles about these three levels of consciousness (levels articles), particularly the third level, which is the domain of Deep Sleep. I know it can be a difficult read, but there's great value in understanding these levels of consciousness and how Yoga Nidra is used as a tool for higher experience.

Yoga Nidra is NOT the Dreaming state.Yoga Nidra IS conscious Deep Sleep.

Like many arts and sciences that are profound, beautiful, andpowerful, yoga has suffered from the spiritual poverty of the modernworld--it has been trivialized, watered down, or reduced to cliches.The deep and eternal essence of yoga has been misrepresented andpackaged for personal profit by clever people. At the hands of some,yoga has been reduced to the status of just another exercise programavailable on videotape. In other contexts, yoga has been presented asa cult religion, aimed at attracting "devotees." Such a haze ofconfusion has been created around the clear and pure concept of yogathat it is now necessary to redefine yoga and clarify its meaning andpurpose.

Yoga defines itself as a science--that is, as a practical, ethodical,and systematic discipline or set of techniques that have the loftygoal of helping human beings to become aware of their deepest nature.The goal of seeking to experience this deepest potential is not partof a religious process, but an experiential science of self-study.Religions seek to define what we should believe, while a practicalscience such as meditation is based on the concrete experience ofthose teachers and yogis who have previously used these techniques toexperience the deepest Self. Yoga does not contradict or interferewith any religion, and may be practiced by everyone, whether theyregard themselves as agnostics or members of a particular faith.

Throughout history, yogic techniques have been practiced in both theEast and West, so it would be an error to consider yoga an "Easternimport." In fact, yoga, with its powerful techniques for creating asense of inner peace, harmony, and clarity of mind, is absolutelyrelevant to the modern world--both East and West. Given the increasingpace and conflict present in modern life, with all its resultingstress, one could say that yoga has become an essential tool forsurvival, as well as for expanding the creativity and joy of our lives.

THE LIVING TRADITION

Although yoga does not "belong" to the East, it is easiest to traceits roots there, because cultural change has not obscured the originsof the science, and an ongoing tradition of yoga has continued to thepresent day. No one person "invented" yoga--yoga is a livingtradition, a set of practices that dates back for centuries. Thesepractices were codified by a scholar and teacher named Patanjali inThe Yoga Sutras, written about the second century B.C.

The most important teaching of yoga has to do with our nature as humanbeings. It states that our "true nature" goes far beyond the limits ofthe human mind and personality--that instead, our human potential isinfinite and transcends our individual minds and our sense of self.The very word "yoga" makes reference to this. The root, "yuj" (meaning"unity" or "yoke"), indicates that the purpose of yoga is to uniteourselves with our highest nature. This re-integration is accomplishedthrough the practices of the various yoga disciplines. Until thisre-integration takes place, we identify ourselves with ourlimitations--the limitations of the body, mind, and senses. Thus wefeel incomplete and limited, and are subject to feelings of sorrow,insecurity, fear, and separation, because we have separated ourselvesfrom the experience of the whole.

In the modern world we have become quite successful in our externalachievements--we have created powerful technologies and a variety ofproducts, we are obsessed with accumulating power, wealth, propertyand objects--and yet we have not been able to create either individualor social peace, wisdom, or happiness. We have only to look around andsee the destructiveness of our weapons, the emptiness of our pleasuresand entertainments, the misuse of our material and personal resources,the disparities between rich and poor, and above all, the lonelinessand violence of our modern world. We see that amid all our success inthe external world, we have accomplished little of lasting value.These problems will not be solved through new technologicaldevelopments. Instead, the resolution to these human problems willcome only when we discover within ourselves that for which all ofmankind is searching--inner peace, tranquility, and wisdom. Thisattainment is the goal of yoga, for yoga is the practical scienceintended to help human beings become aware of their ultimate nature.

AN ASCENT INTO PURITY

The process of yoga is an ascent into the purity of the absoluteperfection that is the essential state of all human beings. This goalrequires the removal of our enveloping personal impurities, thestilling of our lower feelings and thoughts, and the establishment ofa state of inner balance and harmony. All the methods of yoga arebased on the perfection of our personalities and may help to create anew world order.

In the beginning of our work, the greatest problem we experience isour inherent restlessness of mind. Mind, by its very nature, isoutgoing and unsteady. The highest state of meditation, however,requires a calm, serene, one-pointed mind, free from negative emotionsand the distractions created by cravings, obsessions, and desires. Toreach the subtler levels of consciousness and awareness, we needwillpower, clarity of mind, and the ability to consciously direct themind towards our goal. This is possible only when we turn away frompreoccupation with external acquisition and seek to stop allinharmonious or negative mental processes. To achieve this, we do notneed to give up our homes and society and retire to a monastery.Instead, we can achieve a state of peace, harmony, and contentment inour daily meditation, and thus, go on carrying out our life's dutiesand activities with the love and devotion that emerges from ourmeditative experience.

For those who want to follow the path of yoga towards peace andevolution, there are a few prerequisites. We need good health, a calmmind, sincerity, and a burning desire to rise above our humanimperfections. Our health is maintained by a simple and well-regulated diet, adequate sleep, some physical exercise, andrelaxation. Imbalance or excesses in food, exercise, sleep, or ourpersonal relationships produce physical and emotional disruptions thatdisturb the practice of yoga and meditation.

If the aspects of our daily lives are well balanced, then certainly wecan make progress in yoga in the modern world. Regardless of where welive or what we do, we can create a life conducive to yoga.

PATHS TO THE SUMMIT

As we indicated earlier, there is much confusion about exactly whatyoga is, especially since there seem to be so many approaches, alldescribed by the name "yoga." A mountain climber may take a variety ofroutes to reach the top of a mountain. From the plain at the base ofthe mountain, all these paths seem distinct and different, but fromthe mountain summit, the view is always the same! The same is true ofthe seeming diversity of the yogic paths. These different paths arenot mutually exclusive or conflicting, but are intended to accommodatethe various inclinations, personalities, and temperaments ofindividual students, and yet they all have the same goal. Thesevarious paths of yoga include:

1) Hatha yoga, which deals mostly with body and breathing exercisesthat help the student to become aware of his or her internal states.Hatha yoga exercises help to make the body a healthy and strongresource for the student.

2) Karma yoga, which means "the yoga of action." This path teaches usto do our own duties in life skillfully and selflessly, dedicating theresults of our actions to humanity. Practicing this aspect of yogahelps us to live unselfishly and successfully in the world withoutbeing burdened or distressed.

3) Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge and wisdom. This path involvesintense mental discipline. Knowledge dawns as we learn to discriminatebetween the real and the unreal, between the transient and theeverlasting, between the finite and the infinite. This path is meantfor only a fortunate few, who are aware of the higher and subtlerrealities of life.

4) Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. This path is the way of loveand devotion. It is the path of self-surrender, of devoting anddedicating all human resources to attaining the ultimate reality.

5) Kundalini yoga is a highly technical science. The guidance of acompetent teacher is required to learn methods for awakening theserpent-like vital force that remains dormant and asleep in everyhuman body.

6) Mantra yoga, which involves meditation and the use of certainsounds called "mantras," which are traditionally transmitted to thestudent, and are used as objects of concentration. Mantras help thestudent in self-purification, concentration, and meditation. Thesemantras were discovered in deep meditation by highly advanced sagesand teachers.

Finally, there is raja yoga, the "royal path" which is very scientificand thorough. By following this path methodically, we learn to refineour desires, emotions, and thoughts, as well as the subtle impressionsand thoughts that lie dormant in the unconscious mind. Raja yoga helpsus to experience the inner reality by using an eight-runged ladder.The ultimate goal is for the aspirant to attain the eighth rung, samadhi.

THE ROYAL PATH

Raja yoga encompasses teachings from all the different paths. Becauseof its variety it can be practiced by people of many backgrounds andtemperaments. It involves all three dimensions of human interaction--physical, mental, and spiritual. Through this path, we achieve balanceand harmony of all three levels and then attain full realization ofthe Self.

Raja yoga is a scientific discipline that does not imposeunquestioning faith, but encourages healthy examination. Certainpractices are prescribed and the benefits derived from them aredescribed so that this path can be scientifically verified by anyonewho experiments with the methods. Because of this, raja yoga isideally suited to the modern world, in which scientific skepticism isso prominent.

Raja yoga is also called astanga yoga, or "the eight-fold path,"because its eight steps create an orderly process of self-transformation beginning on the level of the physical body, andeventually involving the subtler levels of life. The eight steps areyama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

EXTERNAL PRACTICES

The first four rungs or steps--yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama,comprise the path of hatha yoga, which is preparatory to the last fourstages of raja yoga.

Yama and niyama are ten commitments of attitude and behavior. One setof disciplines (niyama) is meant to improve the human personality andthe other (yama) is meant to guide our relationships and interactionswith other beings in the world. Thus yoga is an education for bothinternal and external growth.

The five yamas, or restraints, are nonviolence, truthfulness,nonstealing, sensual moderation, and non- possessiveness. Theirpractice leads to changes in behavior and emotions, in which allnegative emotions are replaced by positive ones. The five niyamas, orobservances, are cleanliness (both external and internal),contentment, practices which bring about perfection of body and senses(tapas), study of the scriptures, and surrender to the ultimatereality. The niyamas lead to the control of our behavior andeventually are extremely positive factors in developing the personality.

In the beginning we should not be discouraged by the challenge ofthese first two steps. For example, even before we have succeeded indeveloping the trait of nonviolence completely, we will see increasingpeace in our lives and meditation as a result of attempting topractice this yama.

Usually, when hatha yoga is taught in the modern world, only asanas(physical postures) and certain breathing practices are taught. Yamaand niyama often are ignored. Because of this, hatha yoga has becomesomewhat superficial, sometimes emphasizing only physical beauty oregoism about skill and strength in postures. Certainly asanas andbreathing exercises create physical health and harmony, but only whenour minds are free from violent emotions can we achieve a calm,creative, and tranquil mental state.

Actually, there are two types of asanas--meditative postures andpostures that ensure physical well-being. A stable meditative posturehelps us create a serene breath and calm mind. A good meditativeposture should be comfortable and stable, ensuring that the head,neck, and trunk are erect and in a straight line. If the body isuncomfortable, it makes the mind agitated and distracted. The secondkind of postures are practiced to perfect the body, making it limberand free from disease. These postures stimulate specific muscles andnerves and have very beneficial effects.

The fourth step of raja yoga is pranayama. Prana is the vital energythat sustains body and mind. The grossest manifestation of prana isthe breath, so pranayama is also called the "science of breath." Theseexercises lead to calming and concentration.

INTERNAL PRACTICES

The four steps of hatha yoga prepare the student for the four internalpractices of raja yoga. These internal practices are pratyahara,dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

The fifth step of raja yoga is pratyahara or withdrawal and control ofthe senses. While we are awake, the mind becomes involved with theevents, experiences, and objects of the external world through thefive senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. The mindconstantly gathers sensations from the external world through thesesenses and our mind reacts to them. To attain inner calmness, thestudent of yoga will want to develop the ability to voluntarily removethe distractions of the world outside. This is not a physical processbut a voluntary, mental process of letting go of our involvement withexternal sensations.

Our sensory impressions distract the mind when we want it to becomeaware of serenity within. Thus, it is useful to learn dharana, orconcentration, the sixth step in raja yoga. In concentration, thescattered power of the mind is coordinated and focused on an object ofconcentration through continued voluntary attention. This voluntaryattention uses a conscious effort of the will, and it is developedthrough consistent practice. Through concentration, a scattered, weakmind is focused and made more powerful.

The seventh step in raja yoga is dhyana, or meditation. Meditation isthe result of continued, unbroken concentration. Concentration makesthe mind one-pointed, calm, and serene. Meditation then expands theone-pointed mind to the superconscious state. Meditation is theuninterrupted flow of the mind toward one object or concept. When themind expands beyond conscious and subconscious levels and assumes thissuperconscious flow, then intuitive knowledge dawns. All the methodsof yoga prepare us to eventually reach this stage of meditation andthus attain peace, perfection, and tranquility.

In our daily lives, meditation can be very helpful in eliminating manyphysical and psychological problems. A significant amount of thedisease we experience is actually either directly or indirectly theresult of conflicts, repression, or emotional distress arising in theconscious or unconscious mind. Meditation helps us to become aware ofthese conflicts and to resolve them, establishing tranquility andpeace. In this way, meditation becomes a powerful resource for facingthe challenges of daily life.

If we really consider how we learn in the modern world, we realizethat despite all our emphasis on education, our education is one-sided and shallow. We may learn to memorize equations and facts, butwe do not really learn to understand and develop our own inner life.Our minds remain scattered and our emotions persist as negative,conflicting forces. We are able to use only a small portion of ourmental abilities, because we are preoccupied with confusion, fear, andinner conflict. Meditation helps us to overcome these limitations; ithelps us to become aware of the subtler and more positive powerswithin. In gaining this awareness, we become creative and dynamic.Abilities such as intuition, which many consider unusual or rare, areactually within the potential of all human beings who meditate. Suchgifts are available to those who make contact with the deeper aspectswithin themselves.

Prolonged and intense meditation leads to the last step of raja yoga--the state of samadhi, the superconscious state. In this state webecome one with the higher Self and transcend all imperfections andlimitations. The state of samadhi is the fourth state ofconsciousness, which transcends the three normal states of waking,dreaming, and dreamless sleep.

A person who attains samadhi becomes a gift to his or her society. Ifhumanity is ever to achieve a more evolved civilization, it will bepossible only because of our growth and evolution as human beings. Aperson who is established in samadhi lives his or her whole life as aspontaneous expression of the unhindered flow of supremeconsciousness. This superconscious level is our human essence; it isuniversal and transcends all the divisions of culture, creed, genderor age. When we become aware of this state within, our whole life istransformed. When we transform ourselves and experience serenity,peace, and freedom, we also transform our societies and all of humancivilization. This awareness of the infinite consciousness is thepractical and real goal of yoga.

----

Bhole Prabhu lived in the Himalayas, and was a yogi, poet, andphilosopher renowned as an original thinker.

YOGA, COMPUTERS AND FOUR LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESSBy Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

I am not the picture on my computer monitor.I am electricity.

I am not the processing in my microchip.I am electricity.

I am not the data on my hard drive.I am electricity.

I am the life in all of these three.I am the electricity.

A MODEL FOR MEDITATION: The computer can be used as a modern metaphorfor understanding the process of Yoga meditation and the levels ofconsciousness through which one journeys. By understanding theselevels or stages, it is much easier to understand how meditation isnot used merely as a means of relaxation or psychic experience, but asthe means for the realization of the ever pure, ever joyful core ofour being, by whatever name you choose to call that center.

FOUR LEVELS:

1. Peripherals/Conscious: The ten senses and means of expression(indriyas), along with the conscious mind, allow the inner person tocommunicate and act in the external world, like the peripherals of acomputer system, including monitor, keyboard, speakers, and microphone.Four functions of mind: Throughout the conscious, unconscious, andsubconscious levels, the four functions of mind operate ever subtler,until even they are transcended in the fourth stage, noted below.

2. Microchip/Unconscious: The active unconscious mind processes mostlyout of view, with only a small part of its functioning normally comingto the surface of the conscious mind, like the microchip of thecomputer, which does a tremendous amount of processing, yet presentsonly a tiny amount of that to the peripherals.

3. Hard-drive/Subconscious: It is consciousness flowing in or throughthe deep impressions of the latent subconscious, which causes them tostir, just like the otherwise inert binary numbers resident on ahard-drive, which do nothing until they are energetically brought tolife and spring forth into the microchip.

4. Electricity/Consciousness: The conscious, unconscious, andsubconscious levels of mind all function because of the flow ofconsciousness, energy, or life force, just as the peripherals,microchip, and hard-drive all operate because of the electricity. Boththe consciousness and the electricity are uniform, regardless of whatprograms might be running in the moment.

I AM THE ELECTRICITY:

I am not the peripherals!: One explores the peripherals, the wakingstate, the conscious mind, and the gross world, moving through them inmeditation.

I am not the microprocessor!: One explores the microprocessor, thedreaming state, the unconscious mind, and the subtle plane, movingthrough them in meditation.

I am not the hard-drive!: One explores the hard-drive, the deep sleepstate, the subconscious mind, and the causal plane, moving throughthem in meditation.

I am the electricity!: Through deep meditation, one pierces the threelayers described above. Ultimately, one comes to resolve the question,"Who am I?" in direct experience, with the realization of being thepure consciousness, energy, or life force that is beyond, higher, orunderneath each of the other three levels, stages, or states, which isthe core of our being.

About Me

In Your Meditation Today

In your meditation today....
May your body be still and comfortable....
May your head, neck and trunk be aligned....
May your breath be smooth, slow, serene, and with no pauses....
May the flow of thoughts in your mind not disturb you....
May your meditation today bring you peace, happiness and bliss....Audio Recording of Blessing

Yoga Nidra CD by Swami Jnaneshvara

This is one of the deepest and most popular meditation CDs in the world today. It is ISBN 0972471901 and is widely available.